Savage Magic by Judy Teel Read Free Book Online Page A

appreciative breath, wondering how I was going to get Cooper out of that miserable dungeon. Maybe fighting Rosalind to get to Ryker would do it, a thought that cheered me considerably.  
    As Noah and I crossed the wide grassy area, the enticing smell of baking bread, coffee, and best of all bacon drifted over us, and we picked up our pace. We were almost to our goal when the stocky male stepped in front of me.  
    "Human," he said with a sneer. "What's so special about you that our Aesei freely claims you?" Prejudiced much?  
    I looked him up and down and wasn't impressed. "Yeah, someone's really going to have to explain that Aesei part to me. But for now, let's leave the answer to your amazingly unintelligent question as 'hidden talents' and move on."  
    The Were crowded in on me. He was only slightly taller than me, which meant that with my kick-ass logger boots on, I could comfortably look him in his hostile, almond-shaped hazel eyes. "As in, move ," I clarified.
    "We're on Clan business," Noah said hastily.
    "To the infirmary? I don't see any injuries." He fisted up his hands, making the muscles along his arms bulge. "Though that could change."
    Maybe not tall, but thickly muscled, I amended, which put him at probably twice my weight. If I wasn't hamstrung with keeping my secret, I might have been able to take him anyway. As it was...  
    "Degotoga, please let us pass," the kid said.
    "And if I don't want to?"
    I took exception to the clear threat in his voice and the quiver of fear underlying the kid's. I mean, seriously, nobody likes a bully. "Noah, go see if you can find us something to eat."
    "Deg," the boy tried again. "She's just a human."
    "Go, Noah," I warned. As he reluctantly shuffled off a few yards, I let my expression relax into neutral lines and focused my full attention on the angry Were in front of me. "How about you get back to your friends now?"  
    "How about we use you to practice our punches?" His hot smelly breath fanned across my face and I grimaced.
    "Or we could move along peaceably and pretend this never happened." Who said I couldn't be civilized around minors?
    He growled low in his throat and did his best to intimidate me with his glowing Were stare. Yeah, like that had never been tried on me before. I felt him tense, preparing to either slug me or push me, which I really wasn't in the mood to deal with.
    When he shifted his weight, I stepped back, ducking as his palm came up, and then darting to the side. Instead of sending me flying, he hit air, the momentum of the intended strike carrying him forward a few steps. As he staggered to regain his balance, I swept my foot under his leg. He went down like a sack of rocks.
    I didn't wait to see how he'd react to me landing his butt in the dirt, and instead strode quickly for the outbuilding, trusting Noah to follow me. Weres had a lot of respect for food, and I hoped the moron with an attitude would think twice before starting a fight in the kitchen.  
    The feeling of being watched tingled across the back of my neck, and I paused with my hand on the door handle to look around. Lounging on a sunny bench on the porch of the adjoining building, Danny watched me while a grumpy looking guard stood in the shade watching him. I told the kid to get started without me and changed direction, heading for Danny as irritation dug in between my shoulder blades. My little display with Deg must have left an impression, because Noah only hesitated a moment before scurrying inside.
    I debated the merits of sitting next to the vamp on the bench and pretending to be friendly, but since I couldn't bring myself to go that far, I opted for coming to a stop in front of him and looming.  
    "You're blocking my sun," he said, leaning back and studying me, amusement in his cold blue eyes. "If my tan's uneven when I get out of here, I'll know who to blame."
    "How did Bellmonte know we were here? Why did he send you?"
    Danny scooted to the other end of the bench and closed